1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to golf clubs and more particularly to a novel arrangement for mounting a laser aiming system on a putter.
2. Description of Related Art
Golf club laser aiming systems which provide golf club putters with laser aiming beams are well known in the art. Such systems are used by golfers as training aids when practicing putting. It is generally accepted that a golfer achieves optimum putting practice on an actual putting green using the same putter as will be used on the course. Both private and public golf courses typically have practice greens so that a golfer may practice with his or her putter before going out to play a round of golf. Practice greens are maintained to replicate the greens on the course and thereby provide a player the opportunity to practice putting speed and putting direction under actual playing conditions.
Putting speed is partially a function of the condition of the green and partially a function of the head weight and feel of the putter. Putting direction is a function of the golfer's perception of proper club alignment, that is, how he or she aims the putter at the hole. Typically, a putter is properly aimed and aligned for a straight putt when the face of the putter is centered behind the ball and is perpendicular to the desired line or path of the ball.
On the practice green, a golfer gets a sense of the speed of the green by noting the speed of his or her actual putt. Similarly, a golfer develops a sense of proper club alignment by aiming his or her putter at a practice green pin located in the center of a practice green hole and after aiming the club and striking the ball, noting the actual direction of his or her putt.
As was previously indicated, it is desirable for golfers to practice with the same putter they routinely use on the golf course. Thus, there is a need for a device which can be removably affixed to the head of a golfer's putter which provides the user an aiming beam by which to determine if he or she is actually aligning the club face so that it is perpendicular to the desired path of the ball. Typical devices which relate to the present invention include laser aiming beam modules that attach, by various means, to the head of a golfer's putter. It is desirable that the attachment means removably affix the aiming device to the putter in such a way so as to ensure the perpendicularity of the aiming beam to the club face without the need for adjustably aligning the beam with an aligning procedure each time the device is attached to the club head. It is also desirable that the attachment mechanism provide the user a means by which to securely locate the aiming beam over a selected point on the putter head at which he or she normally impacts the ball. Further, it is desirable that the attachment means securely clamp the aiming device to the head and not require any modification to the putter such as threaded holes formed in the putter for use in attaching the laser aiming device to the putter.
The following United States Patents show prior art aiming systems to which the present invention is applicable:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,691, which issued on Nov. 24, 1992 to Jon C. Cook, discloses a golf club laser aiming system which comprises one or two laser generators mounted on the club head with the associated power source mounted in the club handle. It does not specifically address the problem of removably affixing a laser module to the head of a putter in such a way as to securely clamp the device to the head of the putter while ensuring the perpendicularity of the aiming beam to the club face in such a way that the user may locate the aiming beam over a selected point on the putter head at which the user desires to impact the ball. In addition, the two parallel light beams, as disclosed, cannot be conveniently used to practice club alignment on a practice green having cups fitted with individual hole marking pins.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,169,150, which issued on Dec. 8, 1992 to John C. Tindale, discloses a laser beam generator attached to a club head which emits a laser beam at the point on the face of the head where the ball is struck by the club face. The laser beam, as described in the disclosure, is aimed at a target having a graduated measuring scale so that the user of the club may calibrate a sighting line on the putter to compensate his or her inherently misaligned putting stroke. Tindale's disclosure does not provide a solution for removably affixing a laser aiming module to the head of a club so that the user can locate the aiming beam over a golf ball in position to be putted. In the arrangement disclosed, the laser beam cannot be aimed at a pin on a putting green with the golf ball in position to be putted because of the location of the laser emitter.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,193,812, which issued on Mar. 16, 1993 to Mark W. Hendricksen, discloses a laser aiming device that attaches to a club head by means of a mounting bracket which is removably affixed to the putter by screws which engage threaded holes formed in the heel portion of the putter head. Hendricksen's disclosure does not solve the problem of removably affixing the laser aiming device without the need of modification to the user's club.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,429, which issued on May 4, 1993 to Richard G. Walmsley and Keith R. Degenhardt discloses a laser aiming unit for attachment to a club shaft. The laser unit is removably affixed to the shaft by a mounting arrangement which grips the shaft and requires that the user align the aiming beam with some form of alignment procedure each time the unit is affixed to the shaft. This disclosure does not solve the problem of removably affixing the laser aiming device without having to align the aiming beam each time the unit is attached to the club to practice putting.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,213,331, which issued on Mar. 25, 1993 to Frank Avanzini, discloses a laser aiming device which attaches to a club head by means of an adjustable mounting bracket. The laser device and its associated bracket are adjustable in a vertical plane perpendicular to the ball striking surface of a putter so that the laser beam may be projected over the top of a golf ball onto a putting surface at select distances forwardly of the golf ball. Avanzini discloses a laser module mounting bracket which is removably attached to the head of the putter by an adhesive layer. Avanzini does not solve the problem of providing a means to removably affix and securely clamp the laser module to the head of the putter ensuring the perpendicularity of the laser aiming beam to the front face of the putter while the putter is being used to practice putting.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,330,188, which issued on Jul. 19, 1994 to Eric W. Reimers discloses a putter aiming system having a collimated light beam source mounted on the head of a golf club. The mounting arrangement taught by Riemers includes a hosel grip which fits over the hosel portion of the putter. For those putters which do not have a hosel portion, the hosel grip fits over a lower portion the shaft. A cantilever portion extends from the hosel grip to a light source bracket in which the light source is mounted. A blade brace extends downward from the light source bracket which prevents the mounting arrangement from rotating around the shaft. Alternatively, the blade brace and the bracket can be temporarily secured to the putter by a removable adhesive or, with some putters, a magnetic attachment. Riemers does not address the problems related to securely clamping the light source directly to only the head so as to removably affix the light source in an optimum position independent of the hosel and shaft location. Using removable adhesive or magnetic attachment means, as taught by Riemers, to eliminate the need for the hosel grip and catiliver bracket does not provide a means by which to securely clamp the light source to the head. In addition, because putters are subject to mechanical shock during putting practice, either magnetic or adhesive attachment means may not be rigid enough to ensure continued perpendicularity of the laser device to the front face of the putter during a practice session.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,388,832, which issued on Feb. 14, 1995 to Kuo H. Hsu, discloses a laser aiming device that attaches to a club head by means of a mounting bracket which is affixed to the putter head by a screw which engages a threaded hole in the heel portion of the putter head. Hsu's patent does not solve the problem of removably affixing the laser aiming device without the need of modification to the user's club.
As can be seen from the foregoing, there is a definite need for a golf club laser aiming device which can be removably affixed to the golfer's personal putter for putting practice in such a way as to ensure that the laser aiming beam is emitted in a direction perpendicular to the striking surface without the need for the user to employ a procedure to initially align the aiming beam each time the device is used. In addition, a device is needed which can be removably and securely affixed to the putter head so that the laser beam is projected in a substantially horizontal direction over the golf ball when the golf ball is impacted by the striking surface at a point on the club head where the user normally strikes the ball. Further, a laser aiming device is needed that can be securely affixed to the head by the user without the need to modify the user's putter and in such a way that the aiming device maintains its alignment during whatever shock and vibration it is exposed to while being used for putting practice.
In summary, a substantially shockproof laser aiming device is required that can be removably affixed to a putter for use on a putting green without the need for constant beam adjustment.